Laws mean nothing
Just a short post, mainly because I am on a spiritual high after my missionary reunion tonight. No vitriol, no rant, just a few questions.
With the shooting in Oregon, we have a new cry for new gun laws. No surprise, of course, and right on cue, here come the politicians. Too loud. To shrill. No facts. I saw a post the other day which points out that guns are the only THING that is evil. A drunk driver kills, we don't blame the car. People are assaulted by muggers and rapists at knife point, or by other physical force, we don't blame the weapon. If someone eats too much, do we blame the food, or utensil? No. When we use bad grammar, or misspell words, do we blame the pencil? No. But guns kill, not people? Really. Really? I have a gun locked in its case. As far as I know it hasn't gone on a rampage. I don't think it has even tried to get out, but guns kill? Not people?
Here is the problem. If any members of the media were worth their salt, they would ask these questions of ANYONE who advocates new laws.
1. Do they expect criminals to obey these new laws?
2. How many people have been prosecuted for violating gun laws currently on the books by this, or, truthfully, by any recently administration? They even ran commercials a few years ago with the late Johnnie Cochran saying that if you were caught with a gun, even he couldn't help. Just a number, that is all that we ask.
3. How many have been prosecuted and convicted of federal gun crime?
Here is a lesson for the uninformed. If a criminal is picked up for xyz crime, and he has a prior felony, and a gun in his possession, he has a mandatory 10 year sentence waiting under current gun law. That is on top of, and to be served in sequence with whatever other crime he committed. Not concurrently. Ask that question. It is the same problem with immigration. Why pass new laws if we aren't enforcing the current ones, or in other words, how do we know the system is broken if laws are ignored by criminal and law enforcement alike?
With the shooting in Oregon, we have a new cry for new gun laws. No surprise, of course, and right on cue, here come the politicians. Too loud. To shrill. No facts. I saw a post the other day which points out that guns are the only THING that is evil. A drunk driver kills, we don't blame the car. People are assaulted by muggers and rapists at knife point, or by other physical force, we don't blame the weapon. If someone eats too much, do we blame the food, or utensil? No. When we use bad grammar, or misspell words, do we blame the pencil? No. But guns kill, not people? Really. Really? I have a gun locked in its case. As far as I know it hasn't gone on a rampage. I don't think it has even tried to get out, but guns kill? Not people?
Here is the problem. If any members of the media were worth their salt, they would ask these questions of ANYONE who advocates new laws.
1. Do they expect criminals to obey these new laws?
2. How many people have been prosecuted for violating gun laws currently on the books by this, or, truthfully, by any recently administration? They even ran commercials a few years ago with the late Johnnie Cochran saying that if you were caught with a gun, even he couldn't help. Just a number, that is all that we ask.
3. How many have been prosecuted and convicted of federal gun crime?
Here is a lesson for the uninformed. If a criminal is picked up for xyz crime, and he has a prior felony, and a gun in his possession, he has a mandatory 10 year sentence waiting under current gun law. That is on top of, and to be served in sequence with whatever other crime he committed. Not concurrently. Ask that question. It is the same problem with immigration. Why pass new laws if we aren't enforcing the current ones, or in other words, how do we know the system is broken if laws are ignored by criminal and law enforcement alike?
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